Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national spokesperson Anurag Dhanda has sharply criticised Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of functioning as a puppet of the ruling BJP and demanding his resignation. Dhanda’s remarks add AAP’s voice to a growing chorus of opposition criticism targeting the Election Commission of India (ECI) this week.
What Triggered The Attack
The fresh round of criticism follows an investigation by The Indian Express, which reported that two of the three Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders issued during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, several of which they said were taken without their knowledge. The objections reportedly covered issues including voter registration, deletion and restoration of names, and changes to electoral forms.
The Election Commission has pushed back, with sources telling reporters that all decisions, including those on SIR, were taken unanimously with the approval of all three commissioners.
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A Familiar Line Of Attack From Dhanda
This is not the first time Dhanda has questioned Gyanesh Kumar’s conduct. Earlier this year, he criticised the CEC following protests during a temple visit in Kolkata, arguing that democratic institutions must remain completely neutral to preserve public trust in the electoral process, and suggesting that any perception of bias weakens confidence in the system.
Wider Opposition Reaction
Dhanda’s comments echo similar attacks from other opposition leaders this week. The Congress accused Kumar of running the Election Commission “as he pleased” and alleged he was acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called on the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter, while CPI(M) leader John Brittas described the situation as “a one-man autocracy” and renewed calls for Kumar’s removal through Parliament, referencing an earlier removal notice signed by around 70 opposition MPs in April 2026.
